


houseguest

by WattStalf



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Egor is a leshy, F/M, M/M, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, honestly this is so stupid, it egor, no idea where im going with this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-09 21:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8912395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WattStalf/pseuds/WattStalf
Summary: I'd like to research you for a bit, and learn more about you. When all of that's over, I can release you from our deal.
 In which Shingen strikes a bargain with Egor, who comes to live with him and Emilia.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> it's a really long story, how i came up with this, but rest assured, this is a stupid idea. Anyway, I mostly referenced research I did, but I also fiddled with the lore a little bit to suit my story, so whatever, it's bullshit, just sit back and enjoy the bullshit ride. This will probably not be a very long story

"Please be careful," says Emilia, for what is probably the thirteenth time since Shingen announced his trip.

"You know I will be," her husband replies with a wave of his hand. "The worst he's going to do is try to tickle me to death and, in theory, I should know all his weaknesses."

"In theory," she says. "But if you're wrong it could be dangerous! Besides, who says he's going to be the only thing out there? You could get hurt in other ways."

"You don't need to worry about me, pumpkin."

"I wish I could come with you!"

"What, so I can worry about you? Absolutely not! What good would that do?" He shakes his head. "At least this way, only one of us has to be worried."

"I think that's a little unfair," she teases, but he can tell that she's letting go now. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"You know I will."

~X~

The search is partially for work, partially for his own interest. As with any sort of creature, there is something for Nebula to learn, but the leshy does not fall particularly high on their priority. Still, it catches Shingen's personal interest, and he begins digging for information and researching in his free time, and he eventually convinces them to let him take a little trip out to a forest in Europe where he believes he'll have luck. Leaving his wife behind, he departs.

In the beginning of his search, he supposes he should feel ridiculous, but Shingen is not the sort of man who allows himself to feel ridiculous. If he was, he likely would have died of shame years ago. But now, he can freely wander the forest in his usual gas mask, with a thick coat on underneath his lab coat, making the latter look rather lumpy and ill-fitting, without any concern for his appearance. All he does is wander, paying close attention to his surroundings, until he hears a very familiar, very out-of-place voice.

"Come over here!" Emilia calls to him.

"Which way, pumpkin?"

"Over here! This way!" Her voice comes from one direction and then another; he decides on one to follow and starts walking.

"Over here!" a new voice calls out; this one belongs to his son, Shinra.

"Which way, son?" he asks.

"Over here," says Shinra, before Emilia echoes him in a different direction.

"Alright, you two. There's no need to fight over me. How about the both of you come meet me?"

A brief silence follows before Emilia calls him to again, ignoring his words. Shinra's voice follows, sounding closer to hers this time. Both keep urging him to come follow them, but Shingen doesn't move.

"Sorry, but if you're going to fight over me, I'm afraid I can't indulge you. Son, I know it can be hard, learning to share a parent, but that's just the way it has to be. And, Emilia, I honestly thought you were better than that! You're disappointing me, almost more than he is, pumpkin!" Still, their replies don't change, and that is when Shingen starts taking off his clothes.

He strips down completely, removing even his shoes, and it is so cold that it's nearly unbearable, but he's quick to put it all back on. However, he puts all of his clothing on backwards, including his underwear and socks, before putting his shoes on the wrong feet. There is a brief spell of silence, before a new, unfamiliar voice speaks to him.

"So, you saw through my illusion."

"My wife is waiting for me at home, and my son doesn't even know I'm on this trip! Plus, I'm looking for you specifically, so I've done my homework on your tricks."

"Yes," the creature says, "I see you know quite a bit. You can't be tricked so easily, so I'll stop trying to bring you back to my cave."

"Actually, I want to make a deal with you. I did say that I was looking for you specifically, didn't I?" Shingen asks.

"You did. Are you aware of the process?"

"I'm aware of a lot of things. Why don't you come out so that I can see you?"

Shingen hears steps then, and he looks in the direction that they come from to see a tall man emerging from behind a tree. The man has a plain face, with tattered clothing, but he smiles. "What are your conditions?"

"I want you to come home with me."

"I'm not sure if that's a request I can grant," he replies, looking conflicted. Likely, he's not had contact with a human in many years, and likely, he's never had anyone try to make a deal like that.

"It's not like there are rules saying you can't. Besides, it wouldn't be forever. I'm a scientist, you see," says Shingen. "I'd like to research you for a bit, and learn more about you. When all of that's over, I can release you from our deal."

"That's all?"

"What did you think I meant, when I asked you to come home with me? I didn't think you'd have such a dirty mind! Then again, you probably did just watch me switch my clothes, didn't you? Ooh, you're a voyeur! Well, I'm not necessarily an exhibitionist, but I can get into just about anything."

"I'm not sure I know what you're getting at," the leshy says.

"Ah, that's right, you're a married man, aren't you?" he asks, referencing another part of the legend.

"Actually, that's not true. I don't have a wife. Others do, but I don't."

"I suppose you must have a limited dating pool. Well! All the more reason for you to come with me." Pulling out a crucifix, Shingen says, "So, you take this, right?"

The creature closes the distance between them, and Shingen is suddenly very aware of how much he towers over him. "If I accept this, then I will come home with you and comply with your research until you want to end our deal."

"And it can't be broken in the mean time?"

"It can't," he says, before taking the crucifix and putting it around his neck.

"Excellent. I think we're going to have a wonderful partnership, don't you? Now, what should I call you?"

"It doesn't really matter to me," he says, "though, if giving me a name will make you feel better, then please feel free."

"Alright, then...I'm going to call you Egor. My name is Shingen Kishitani."

~X~

It isn't easy to smuggle him back to where he and Emilia live in America, but Shingen has his experience with smuggling, and Egor shows off his shapeshifting abilities whenever asked. Getting him overseas is easier than it appears, and when they're in a car back to his home, his face changes to one younger and handsomer (which is not to say that Shingen had any issue with his face before).

"Hm? What was that all about? Are you trying to see what my type is?"

"I thought this look might suit my new life better," replies Egor. "Speaking of which, I still haven't seen your face. What's the purpose of that mask?"

"To protect myself from this disgusting air."

"I couldn't help but notice, you didn't put that on backwards when you were switching your clothes."

"I took a shot in the dark and assumed you wouldn't mind."

"I'm really not all that picky," says Egor, and Shingen laughs.

"Well, I'm glad that you have a sense of humor, at least."

"How long do you think your research will last?"

"It's hard to say," says Shingen. "Only time will tell."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry

Emilia takes to Egor straight away, welcoming him into their home like a visitor. Shingen discovers that she'd even spent her time alone getting the guest room set up, and she apologizes for not knowing how Egor would want it decorated.

"That's quite alright," he replies. "I've never stayed in a room like this before, so anything will do."

"I could go outside and get a bunch of leaves!" she suggests.

"No, no, don't trouble yourself. As long as I'm going to be staying with you, I think it might be fun to experience things as you do," says Egor.

"He's so gracious! What a wonderful guest," Emilia says with a happy sigh.

"Uh oh, Egor. It seems my wife has taken to you quite a bit," says Shingen. "You know, I'd be jealous, except I've taken to you quite a bit myself."

With a blank smile, their guest replies, "Thank you." He pauses for a moment, reaching for the cross hanging around his neck, and looking between Shingen and Emilia. After a moment, he steps closer to Emilia, steadily closing the distance between them. She giggles, a confused look on her face, and his expression does not shift as he reaches his arms out and begins to tickle her sides.

Even as Emilia begins to squeal with laughter, his expression remains the same, and he tickles her relentlessly, until Shingen manages to recover from his own laughter and say, "That's quite enough, Egor."

"She and I don't have a deal, doctor."

"Yes, but part of my research may involve that little habit of yours, so, until further notice, no tickling without my say so. Alright?"

He hesitates for only a moment before he nods and lets go, and Emilia, tears of laughter streaked down her face, runs to her husband, crying, "Shingen!" She tucks herself into his embrace as if for protection.

"I apologize, doctor," says Egor after a moment. For whatever reason, he seems to prefer calling the man by that, rather than his name. "I'm not used to having to ignore those impulses."

"Honestly, the fact that it's an impulse is fascinating to me! I certainly hope we can uncover a little about that," he replies.

"I'm too ticklish," Emilia says, her voice muffled as she buries her face against her husband's chest.

"Poor dear," he says sympathetically, reaching a hand up to pat the back of her head.

~X~

"I've got some bad news for you, Egor," says Shingen one day, walking into the kitchen.

"What's that?"

"Well, it seems nobody at my company is interested in working o my research team right now. They've been iffy about this project from the start, so even though I've gone to all the trouble of finding you, they want to postpone things!" Throwing his hands up in exasperation, he gives a theatrical sigh.

Egor looks down at his plate for a moment, contemplating. "Well," he says, "I'm in no position to break our deal, but either way, I'm enjoying my time here, so if it's a little extended, then that isn't a problem."

"Do you want me to make you more?" Emilia asks.

"Please don't trouble yourself for my sake, ma'am."

"But I like cooking for you! I don't get to cook very often, so it's not any trouble." For whatever reason, they've discovered that Egor vastly prefers Emilia's cooking to anything they order in or anything that Shingen makes. Needless to say, she's thrilled to have found someone who appreciates her culinary skills- or lack thereof, depending on who you ask.

"Well, if you're going to be stuck with us, we might as well have some fun with it, right? I think you've learned enough from us to be able to blend in enough for a night out on the town. Don't you agree, Emilia?"

"Ooh, a date? Are we taking Egor on a date?"

"Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I thought dates had to do with romantic intent," he speaks up.

"Aw, looks like he caught onto our teasing," says Shingen. "I guess, if I had to put it simply, I would say that I'm what you'd call a huge flirt. Have you learned that word yet?"

"I think I'm familiar with it. Are you...flirting...because of romantic intent, or for another reason?"

"I enjoy teasing people, of course!"

"Ah, yes. I should have been able to figure that out, doctor. After all, you have a wife," he says with his usual smile.

"Well, actually, that isn't a problem for a lot of humans. We aren't quite as monogamous as your kind. There are some who have multiple partners, or relationships that involve a whole group," explains Shingen. "And, of course, there are the scoundrels who go behind their loved ones' backs with others, but that isn't the kind of example I want you following!" He speaks like a father for a moment, but beneath his mask, he's smiling warmly, not that Egor can see that.

"I doubt I'll be involved like that with any of your kind," replies the leshy. "I hope that doesn't offend you, I didn't mean any harm by it."

"Holding out for someone more like you? Well, that's not so bad. Just pay my flirtations no mind!" He claps a hand on Egor's back. "But I was serious about the date, even if it isn't really a date. I'd love it if you'd accompany me and my wife out to see more of the world."

"I'd like that."

"Hmm..." He looks Egor up and down. "We'll have to try to find you some clothes that are more appropriate, though it'll be tricky with your height, I'm sure."

"Doctor, you're aware that I can change my height, aren't you?"

"Of course! Silly me, letting that slip my mind."

"Yes, well, I could do that, but I think it might be easier if I changed my clothes myself," he says, and they watch at the clothes on his body shift, until he's suddenly wearing a casual suit. "How's this?"

"Well, well," says Shingen, "I'm impressed. I'm going to have to make note of that. I wasn't aware that your clothes were a part of your appearance that you could manipulate. Do you even have a naked form?"

He flushes, and Shingen has to wonder if that's a natural process or a rehearsed one. "I'd rather not discuss things like that in front of a lady, doctor."

"Emilia is a scientist herself, so there's nothing to be shy about! Ah, well, we do need to get a move on, don't we? We can learn all your indecent secrets later!"

And so, the three of them prepare for a night out. Though Egor has spent his long life observing what people he's met and learning about their lives from a distance, this is his first time being so up close and personal. He's never been into a city before, other than the brief time he spent being driven to Shingen's home. Other than what they've shown him on television, he really doesn't know what to expect, but he's excited, nonetheless.

"One of these days, we're going to have to teach you how to drive," says Shingen. They had been driven to his home by one of his coworkers, and tonight, Emilia is driving them. "It'd be nice to have a chauffeur."

Egor has to assume the man is kidding, since he has no means to get a license.


	3. Chapter 3

After leaving their car in a parking structure, Shingen begins leading his wife and their house guest through the city. He and Emilia walk on either side of him, and she leans forward to talk to Shingen while they discuss where they should take Egor to first.

“Well, I was going to take him shopping and buy him his very own, all-American wardrobe, but it seems like that'll be a waste of money! What with the way he creates clothes out of thin air and all,” he says with a scoff.

“Aw, but shopping for him sounds like so much fun!”

“It wouldn't be a waste of money if you didn't spend any,” says Egor. “I base my appearances off of things I've seen. I combined a lot of features I've seen to create this face, but this outfit is just one that I saw on a television show. If you'd like to create a wardrobe for me that much, I can try to commit clothes to memory.”

“Look at him!” declares Shingen. “He's such a good sport about things, isn't he? Egor, you're simply a delight to have around!”

And so, that is how Shingen ends up taking a leshy on a shopping spree in which no money is actually spent. Emilia gets incredibly enthusiastic, dragging the two men from store to store. Shingen is no stranger to shopping trips with Emilia, and knows where all of her favorite places to look for clothes for him are- even though they never end up buying anything besides more suits to wear beneath his lab coat- and that is where they end up taking Egor.

Shingen ushers him to a dressing room, telling him that all he has to do is go into one of the rooms and transform his clothes, and they can pretend as if he's actually tried them on and give him opinions. It's very worth it to see the look on the attendant's face, when Egor carries in clothes that should not fit a man of his height, and then comes out fitting perfectly in everything.

Of course, their group is likely an annoyance on every store they enter, since they have Egor try on so much without buying anything, and Emilia gushes loudly over every outfit and takes pictures on her cellphone, and Shingen looks the way he does. The three of them are certainly an odd, conspicuous bunch, but the couple never lets that bother them, and Egor likely hasn't yet learned how to pick up on those social cues yet.

After visiting the bulk of the clothing stores that Emilia favors, and then they decide to check up with how their guest is actually doing.

“It's a lot to take in,” he says, a small smile on his face. “I was aware that cities were big, but still, it's hard to believe there are this many people anywhere in the world. I'm just used to a more secluded lifestyle.”

“Just a little bit of culture shock, nothing to worry about there! In my professional opinion, the only decent cure is more exposure!” Shingen announces. “Don't tell me you want to cut our outing short?”

“No, of course not. Just lead me wherever you want to go,” he says.

“Dinner!” Emilia cuts in. “It's been long enough since you've had lunch, hasn't it? And I haven't eaten in a while, so let's all go out to dinner!”

“That's an excellent idea, pumpkin. You can pick somewhere for us to go, wherever you think Egor might like to visit!”

They end up visiting a place they regularly visit, one of their favorite restaurants, where Shingen and Emilia once had their first official dinner date. Their companion squints as he studies the menu, and Shingen asks, “Are you not able to read? You know, I never thought to ask that before. My apologies, Egor.”

“Oh, there's nothing to worry about on that front, doctor. I can read just fine. I'm just not used to this sort of thing. Do you know what I should order?” Everything he knows about restaurants, he's learned from television, but it all seems fairly simple to him.

“Well, I'm the sort of man who orders the same thing every time, so I'm going to have to recommend my usual item.”

Egor agrees to try that, but insists on ordering for himself, wanting to see if he can do something like that based on what knowledge he's obtain. Of course, it proves to be just as simple as he expects, and Emilia tells him that she's very proud of him. He knows that the both of them are younger than him, and that Emilia is especially young, but there is still something maternal about her.

When the food arrives and he tries it, he comments, “It's not bad, but I think what you make is much better,” and he doesn't understand the strangled noise that Shingen makes, one that sounds like he's holding back a laugh.

“You're so sweet!” she cries. “I'm so happy to be able to cook for you! First thing tomorrow, I can take you to the grocery store with me and we can pick out whatever you want me to make for you!”

“I'll be working tomorrow,” adds Shingen, “so you two behave while I'm out of the house, alright?”

~X~

After their dinner, they also insist on taking him to a hole-in-the-wall ice cream parlor that Emilia loves, and then they drag him to a bookstore. “Since you can read, I thought you might enjoy books as much as you enjoy watching TV shows,” says Shingen. “You can pick out whatever you want, and this way I can finally spend money on you!”

“Do you have a library card?” asks Egor. “If you do, then I can look at books there. Then, you don't have to spend money, do you? Or are libraries really free?”

“Isn't he just adorable? Learning everything from TV! I'd like to compare him to Celty when she first came to live with us, but he at least has the intelligence to _question_ what he sees.” The scientist scoffs. “Not to mention, it's always been hard for me to think of her as particularly adorable.”

“Don't be mean to our daughter!” Emilia protests.

Cocking his head, Egor watches their exchange, not quite knowing what to say. They've mentioned this Celty in passing before, and from what he's gathered, Shingen brought her home roughly two decades ago under similar circumstances, and she lives with his son in Japan, where the two of them are in some sort of relationship. His son, Egor knows, is from a previous marriage and is older than Emilia. He isn't sure if that's a strange occurrence for humans or not.

“As an answer to your question, yes, Egor, libraries are free. However, spending money on you isn't an issue. In fact, I'd really _like_ to have the chance to spoil you a little bit! You are our guest, after all!”

Egor finds he doesn't have much of a choice and, once he's in the bookstore, finds that there are a lot of topics he's interested in learning about. Though he doesn't fully understand currency yet, he feels guilty as he watches their total go up, though both Shingen and Emilia insist that money is not much of an object for them. The three of them have a lot to carry back to the car, and decide to end their “date” there, since it's starting to get dark.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise  
> it's me

The next day, after Egor sees Shingen off for work- a habit he didn’t notice himself developing- Emilia asks him when he’d like to go out shopping with her. “I’ve got all day to myself, so I’m really excited to get to spend more time with you!”

“We can go whenever you’re ready,” he replies with a smile, finding that he’s excited to get to spend more time with her as well. After the time he’s spent with the couple, all leading up to their “date” the night before, he realizes that he’s growing very attached to the two of them. His interactions with humans, though limited, always left him with the impression that growing attached to one was unlikely.

The two of them leave not long after that, with Emilia driving. “I know Shingen was only teasing, but if you want to learn how to drive someday, I’d be happy to teach you!” she says.

“Shouldn’t you be teaching him first? He can actually get a license, after all.”

“He says he has no need to learn such things,” she replies, her tone switching to one more precise, more uppity, but she giggles. “Honestly, I think he’s just scared. And the roads in America are even scarier than the ones in Japan, or so he says!”

“I see,” replies Egor, smiling a bit at her words. Yes, he can certainly see Shingen avoiding driving simply because he’s afraid, and there is something endearing about that that he can’t quite put into words.

A grocery store turns out to be just about what he expected after what he’s seen on television, and Emilia leads him around the store, reading off of her own list, and asking him to get anything that he thinks he might like. She claims to have learned new recipes just for him, and he’s touched. Though he still doesn’t know much about the way humans mix and package and process their foods, there are still things he recognizes, and Emilia is ecstatic when he begins filling their cart with some of those things.

“Is it okay if I report this to Shingen later?” she asks. “It’s just, he’ll be so excited to get this new data!”

“Yes, of course,” he says, though he isn’t quite sure how valuable little details like this will be to their research.

By the time their cart is full, Emilia is ready to pay and get home, and Egor impresses her with how easily he can carry all the groceries to the house, making only one trip necessary. She praises him for this in the same maternal way she praised him at the restaurant the night before, and he actually feels himself blush a bit. While she makes lunch for the two of them, he begins reading one of the books they bought for him, and is barely able to put it down long enough to eat with her, and listen to stories about her past research projects with other creatures deemed “supernatural”.

After lunch, she leaves him to his reading while she does some house cleaning and, whenever he hears her stumble or drop something, she assures him that this is how it always goes, and that she doesn’t need any help. Soon enough, he’s able to block the sounds out as he immerses himself, and before he knows it, several hours have passed and Shingen has returned, ready for the dinner that Emilia has prepared for them.

Egor still finds it amusing that Shingen does not entirely remove his mask to eat, pushing it up just enough. Tonight, however, he catches himself thinking about the exposed features, and how Shingen must be very handsome with his face fully exposed. Emilia is so beautiful that it only makes sense, he thinks, and then wonders why he is thinking along these lines at all.

Perhaps it is because he has begun reading romance; after dinner, he continues exploring this genre, and he knows, in the back of his mind, that he focuses on this because he is curious about human romance, and, more importantly, some of the things Shingen told him. However, there is nothing about humans not being monogamous in these books, other than a few examples of someone going behind their partner’s back, though that was something Shingen told him he should never do.

~X~

He stays up late that night, and he spends most of his time over the next few days reading what he has, but, no matter how he searches for it, he can’t find the sort of information that he wants. Eventually, when he is with Emilia one day, he asks her if he can get more books, and she claps, saying, “How about a visit to the library, then? You did want to go to one!”

Once they get there, he isn’t sure how he’s going to search for what he needs without tipping her off. He isn’t sure why he is suddenly so shy, but he knows that he doesn’t want her to know that he’s curious. For a while, he shuffles around, picking out random books and pretending to study them thoroughly, until Emilia gets distracted by something, sitting down with a book and softly telling him to come find her if he has any questions.

That makes it easier, but still, he doesn’t know where to look. It takes him a moment to get up the nerve- and honestly, why is approaching humans so much harder than he expected?- and walk up to a help desk. The woman behind it is wearing a name tag, so she must be one of the librarians, he reasons.

“What do you need?” she asks, her voice low, and he tries to match her tone, remembering that libraries are quiet places.

“There’s a certain subject I’m trying to learn about,” he says.   
“Do you know what section you’re looking for?”

“No,” he confesses.

“Alright, that’s fine. Could you give me some details, so that I can maybe point you in the right direction?”

“I’m interested in monogamy,” he says. “Or, rather, the opposite. When hu- people seek out multiple partners.”

For a moment, she just looks at him, before clearing her throat. “Alright, so, polygamy, then?”

“Hm, that does make sense as a name,” he says. “Yes, exactly that.”

She begins looking something up on her computer, saying, “This might take a minute,” and he hopes that Emilia remains distracted long enough for him to find what he’s looking for. When asked, he tells her he is interested in fiction stories as well as informative books, and that absolutely anything involving the subject will do. After quite a while, she prints out a list for him, saying, “This is what we have here, as well as the section it should be in. There are couple other things we did have in our system, but they’re checked out now, so you might want to come back later, if you’re still interested.”

“Thank you so much, and I’m sorry for wasting so much of your time.”

“It’s really not a problem,” she replies with a smile that he wants to describe as flirtatious, but he still isn’t an expert on that subject. “Is this for a research project?”

“Yes, something like that,” he says, before he begins his search in earnest. It takes him a moment to understand the different sections and how the books are organized, but he catches on, and soon has his arms full of different books, as well as unrelated ones. He’s still feeling somewhat shy about Emilia discovering his latest interest, and wants to cover them as best as he can.

When they’re ready to leave, she shows him how to operate the self-checkout counter, and he is able to put the books in the bags she brought for them without her getting a good look at what they all are.

That night, and many nights after that, he is kept up as he tries to learn what he can on the subject. He can’t explain what has him so intrigued, but the more he learns, the more his curiosity grows, in a way that he doesn’t understand. Most of the books he reads are either about a multitude of subjects, with polyamory and polygamy as parts of them, or fictional with a heavy focus on erotica, and he absorbs each source of information equally.

Still, his curiosity isn’t satisfied.


	5. Chapter 5

Usually, Egor is left entirely alone once it reaches a certain hour, and the couple has gone to their room, but one night, while he is up late reading, there is a knock at his door, and when he tells them to come in, Shingen enters his room. Without a word, he comes to sit down on Egor’s bed; Egor sits at the desk in his room, and turns his chair to face him.

As he does this, Shingen takes off his gas mask and sits it at his side, as if this is the most natural thing in the world to do. “Let’s talk face to face,” he says, and Egor can’t tell if he means this as a joke or not. (He sees now that he was right in assuming that Shingen would be handsome but he tries to push those thoughts aside.)

“What did you want to talk about?” asks Egor, hoping that he doesn’t look particularly flustered by this sudden revelation.

“You’ve been reading nearly nonstop since Emilia took you to the library,” he replies. “She says you picked up quite a lot of books, and she and I have both wondered what sorts of things you’re interested in. Both out of professional and personal curiosity, of course. Knowing what a leshy such as yourself wants to learn about humans is important data, but I’m also just very nosy.”

“Your nose looks average to me.”

“Does it?” asks Shingen.

“I was trying to make a joke.”

There is a pause before Shingen laughs, and says, “I should have known better! Forgive me for taking you too seriously, Egor. Anyway, my initial question still stands. Mind telling me what it is you’re reading about? It can stay off the record, if you really want it to.”

“You’ll probably think it’s strange if I tell you.”

“I’ve dedicated my life to strange things, so I don’t really see the problem.”

“After a conversation we had, I became very curious about, ah...polygamy? Or, I suppose, polyamory, there are a lot of different terms that mean different things,” he explains, aware that he’s starting to ramble. “The subject was strange to me at first, so I decided to explore it further.”

“Only at first, hm?”

“Well, after reading about it for long enough…”

“You’re still curious though, aren’t you?” Shingen gives him a look that lets Egor know he is already completely figured out.

“I’m not sure,” he replies, because, really, what else is there to say?

“I want to tell you a little more about Celty,” says Shingen. “You know about the circumstances under which I met her, and brought her to live with me, and you know a bit about her relationship with my son. You know that they’re romantically involved, at least, but do you ever wonder about the morality in such a relationship?”

Cocking his head, Egor says, “I’m not sure I know what you’re referring to, doctor.”

“Not only was she not a part of our world, but she came with the added disadvantage of not having any of her memories,” the scientist explains. “She was basically a lost child, and depended entirely on the influence of myself and my son to learn about the world and develop her identity. From the beginning, Shinra believed himself in love with her, I think, and eventually, she grew to return his feelings. Did he use his position of power in her life to manipulate her into falling in love with him?”

“I’m not sure if that’s a question I can answer.”

“Of course not! Purely rhetorical, of course,” he says with a wave of his hand. “The point is, it’s very hard to tell, but there are a lot of people who would say that. So, lets say, hypothetically, that you’re interested in these sorts of relationships because I’ve flirted with you more than a few times. Let’s say that you’re trying to learn more because you could possibly have feelings for me, and for Emilia. Many could argue the same points for us that they could for Shinra and Celty, you know.”

“So you think I’m only feeling this way because you manipulated me, then?”

“Who can say? It’s always a possibility that Emilia and I are controlling your experiences in order to shape you into the sort of person we want you to be, be it for research purposes or just our own amusement,” says Shingen. “After all, you’ve got a contract with me, one that I could easily take advantage of. Maybe none of your feelings are your own. Maybe we’ve simply taught you to play a part. Or maybe we’ve just pushed you in a certain direction, but it’s your own desire to get closer to humanity that lead you to this point.”

It’s strange, listening to the way Shingen so easily paints himself as a potential villain, and how shamelessly he does it. He does nothing to defend himself, or suggest a particular side; he stays impartial, despite the matter bringing his character into question. Egor doesn’t know what to make of this strange man, and his very strange way of speaking to him.

“I don’t feel like either of you have manipulated me,” he says, “but I suppose you could have trained me to feel that way in the first place, right?”

“Very good, Egor!” Shingen gives him a smile as he applauds. “Good to know that my lesson did not fall on completely deaf ears. Of course, it’s entirely up to you to decide how to think, but just know that there are several who would say we’ve influenced your worldview.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he says. “But what about your side of the story? I doubt it will be possible to decide your motives if I don’t even know how you feel about this.”

“Emilia and I are endlessly fascinated by the world most humans don’t see,” says Shingen, as he picks up his mask and puts it back on, his voice going muffled as he does. “We’ve also always considered our relationship open to others. Do whatever you’d like with that information.”

Without another word, he gets up and leaves, and Egor is no more sure what to make of him than he was before this encounter. Shingen is certainly difficult to read, but, when he thinks about it, Emilia is just as cryptic. She hides that behind her maternal behavior, but she shares the same job with her husband, and leaves no more clues to her true feelings than he does.

If Egor is really falling in love with them- and how is he to know if his love and their love mean the same thing?- then it will be no easy road to follow. He is under a contract with Shingen now, but in the future, there will be nothing binding him to the Kishitanis. When that time comes, he will be free to leave them, though he isn’t sure how he would get back home, if they were unwilling to help him. He could find a way, he supposes, but will that even be necessary?

Will he even want to leave? He’s not lived with them for very long, but he’s already growing used to this life, and has enjoyed learning about humans and staying in their home and eating Emilia’s cooking and visiting the library and going out with the two of them. When the time comes, will he really want to return to his lonely life in the forest?

Egor doesn’t know how much longer it will be until his contract ends, but he thinks that he might already have an answer.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally i can put this behind me

Time passes, and neither Egor nor Shingen mention their conversation again, and he does not mention it to Emilia either. He’s sure that the doctor must have told his wife already; perhaps she was the one who encouraged him to reach out and find out what Egor was up to in the first place. Whatever the case, he continues learning what he can about humans and continues learning what he can about the two he lives with, and fits into their lives and routines so easily that, though he doesn’t live with them for long, he still feels as though he belongs here.

And then the day comes when Shingen comes home late, and has both Egor and Emilia listen to him over dinner. “The research project concerning our houseguest was discussed again at a meeting today,” he says. “The company says that now they have the time needed to begin.”

“Oh! Isn’t that wonderful?” Emilia beams at her husband before turning to Egor. “You’re not nervous about being studied, are you? I’m sure it won’t be too bad!”

“You have nothing to worry about, Egor. This is the sort of project where they plan to release you back into the wild when it’s over, that’s how it’s always been,” says Shingen. “There won’t be anything too terribly invasive, and nothing you won’t bounce right back from!”

Egor chuckles at his choice of phrasing and says, “Don’t worry, I trust you. If you’re going to be involved, then I’m sure I really do have nothing to worry about.”

“Well, while I’m sure you have your reasons for trusting me, I wouldn’t be so quick to trust my coworkers, the company I work for is  _ quite _ shady,” he replies, and again, Egor chuckles. “Actually, Emilia has also been selected to be a part of the team, so we will both be present. But you know, we have to act professionally! I don’t want them thinking that we got too close to our research subject!”

“Didn’t we, though?” his wife asks with a grin. “I’m so excited to be able to work on this, though! Are you more excited now, Egor?”

“I was already excited to begin with,” he replies with a warm smile, and she beams again. In the back of his mind, he is still thinking about what he is going to do when the project is over and done with, but he doesn’t bring that up, and instead begins eating his dinner.

~X~

He has a few days before the project actually begins, but he really isn’t nervous about it. Not only does he believe Shingen when he insists that he won’t be hurt by it, but knowing that Emilia will be there is somehow more comforting. He doubts that she will let her maternal nature show too much while they are in a lab setting, and it might even be jarring to see her in a work setting, but, because he’s known her so much at home, he feels that she will be a comforting presence to him nonetheless.

And then he leaves for the Nebula lab where he will be staying until this is over with, and even though he knows that it won’t be the last time he sees the Kishitani household, he still feels strange leaving it, wanting to take time to look at and memorize each room before he leaves. The lab is bright and lifeless, and it has an odd effect on him, and, for the first time, he does feel rather nervous about all of this.

The next few days pass in a blur of interviews and surgeries that he is no conscious for. Shingen tells him that he’s lucky that he isn’t immune to the drugs used to put him under, mentioning something about Celty not being so lucky. Egor is still groggy at the time, so he doesn’t quite understand what that means; all he can think about is how strange the man in the white gas mask looks under the bright lights of the lab, and how out of place Emilia’s chipper tone sounds.

He is in and out for days, and when he is fully conscious he is made to answer questions and run tests on his physical capabilities, as well as show off his transformation abilities. It goes on and on and on, and he wonders what they could possibly hope to learn about him from all of this. Data is recorded, and he doesn’t understand a bit of it, and then, it is all over and he is told that he is being released back into the wild.

Or, so the say, but he just rides home with Shingen and Emilia, happy to return to his room and his books and the food she prepares for his first real dinner in days. They have a nice dinner together while the couple tries to fill in Egor on what he’s missed while he was out, and all the supposedly confidential information gathered about him, which they both agree he has more of a right to know than anyone else.

Things are pleasant, and they don’t discuss the most obvious issue, that he’s sure they must be thinking about as well.

~X~

He felt it while he was being checked out of Nebula, and though he can’t describe the sort of feeling, it’s a feeling that he’s had before; the feeling of a contract coming to an end, of him being set free. It’s over now, and there is nothing left forcing him to stay in this house. If he asked, he’s sure Shingen would take him back to his home, and even if Shingen didn’t, he’s more clever now than before, and he doesn’t think it would be hard to impersonate enough people to smuggle himself back.

The next morning over breakfast, Shingen says, very casually, “Egor, do you think I’ll need to book some vacation time to take you back to Russia? I have to give a bit of a notice, so I’ll need to know as soon as possible.”

“No, I don’t think I’ll be returning any time soon,” he replies, trying to match the other man’s casual tone.

“Very well. Will you continue to live here with us?”

“If that would be alright. I know that I don’t have means of obtaining income, but…”

“Oh, Egor, haven’t you learned anything about us? Money is hardly an object,” says Shingen. “But, if you really felt a burning desire to enter the work force, I’ve got plenty of false identities stashed away for you to borrow. Though, I must warn you, entry level jobs are supposedly hell.”

“If you really want to contribute, I guess I could let you help me with house work,” says Emilia, “though I really don’t need any help!”

“It would be my pleasure to help you,” Egor says, and, just like that, it is decided that he will be a permanent guest in their home. It’s as if they were expecting this response from him, and, knowing them, they probably were. Well, that’s just fine.

“Should we ask him…?” Emilia starts, and her husband nods.

“I think now’s as good a time as any. Egor?”

“Yes?”

“If you’re going to live with us, Emilia and I have something else that we need to address.”

“That’s right!” she agrees. “Egor, would you like to date the two of us?”

Remembering their first “date”, he can’t help but smile as he says, “Yes, of course.”

And so begins his first romantic relationship with humans, though he can’t help but feel that it began some time ago, without any of them addressing it. Either way, it all worked out in the end.


End file.
